Mitchell returns for Paris trip

NEWS: England Sevens coach Simon Amor has included captain Tom Mitchell in the squad for the penultimate round of the World Sevens Series in Paris on May 13 and 14.

The return of the skipper is the only change to the side who beat Australia to win bronze in Singapore.

Mitchell takes the place of injured Richard de Carpentier.

England are third in the world series standings, two points behind Fiji, and pushing for a second-place finish to make it their most successful season since 2006.

This weekend England play Spain, France and Kenya in Pool C at the Stade Jean Bouin.

Head Coach Simon Amor said: “We set high standards for our performances and were disappointed to see a dip in the last two tournaments, having otherwise made good improvements in our style of play across the season. Finishing second in the series would be a great achievement but our focus is 100% on our first game against Spain in Paris.

“It has been a tough and bruising world series and there is always a level of fatigue at this point in the season. We have picked a strong squad which includes some guys who are returning to match fitness so a full 12/13 man effort is more important than ever."

“The flags and the atmosphere in the Stade Jean Bouin were brilliant last year, it really inspired the French team and it is exciting that we get to play them in the pool stages. This season we have enjoyed the challenge of facing host teams – we’ve played South Africa, New Zealand and USA at their home events and they are always very special games to be part of.”